


White Lilies & Red Roses

by Snowhusky369



Category: Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: Assassin - Freeform, Gen, Origin Story, Other Tags I forgot to mention, Samurai, black death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:14:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26796430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowhusky369/pseuds/Snowhusky369
Summary: Will I always be enslaved in a world I so desperately want to leave behind?~~~Kuroda Atsuko was stuck. Ten years into the Meji Era and she's still assassinating people to pay off a debt to a man who has owned her since she was a child. Just when she had hoped that she had finally finished murdering people for this man, she receives a shattering blow to her hope. He wanted her to continue working for him. The only way she can finally be free is to run away. But, with her life on the line, is that the only way to allow her to be free?After running for weeks, Atsuko arrives in the dwelling place of Himura Kenshin, the old Battousai. Face-to-face with the old man-slayer, she feels nothing but fear at what he might be like. Not everything is as it seems, though. Can Kenshin show this old hitokiri girl how to finally shed off the chains of her past to find new peace and happiness? Will Atsuko finally be free of the man who wishes to continue using her to spread death?(I suck at descriptions. Sorry ^^')
Relationships: Himura Kenshin/Kamiya Kaoru
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin! The only thing I do own is Kuroda Atsuko and some of the unique plots not found in the anime itself!

Tucking a thick chunk of black hair behind her ear, Kahnlin sighed gloomily as she watched the rain beat against her window frame.

"Atsuko, I am talking to you. Do you understand me?"

Turning around, she leaned against the window, her green eyes flashing with boredom. "I understand. I just don't care to listen to you. All I need to know is who to kill and when they need to be killed by."

The man huffed, crossing his arms, and she brushed past him to the door. Pulling the cloth back, she motioned for the man to leave, giving him a dangerous look. Without argument, the man was gone and she was finally allowed to be alone with her thoughts.

How long had it been since she was free? Twenty years maybe? In that timeframe, she had become well-known as the only surviving assassin from times of war. Just like every famous samurai, she also had a bone-chilling name to go with her looks.

Hitokiri Atsuko, A.K.A. Black Death, was her samurai title, won by the black of her hair as well as her wardrobe choices. With long, thick black hair pulled up into a high ponytail, her pale face was free of any hair except for the bangs that framed her cheeks. Bright green eyes were always narrowed, appearing as if they're constantly looking into someone's soul. Her body, trained to physical perfection, rippled with toned, although small, muscles and her figure was that of an hourglass. Unlike other women of the Meji Period who wore kimonos and such, she wore a black pair of umanori hakama, tabi, zori, and a men's black kimono. To cover up the part of her chest that was revealed though her clothing choices, she wore white bandages. 

Sliding her katana out of its sheath, she inspected the shiny, silver blade carefully, her eyes scanning over the solid surface intensely. So far, the metal had yet to begin rusting, the blade still perfectly sharp and smooth. Sliding it back into the sheath, she tied it to her hip and yanked her hair back into a high ponytail, a black ribbon keeping it up. 

Taking out the small box of face paint she kept near her bed, she quickly painted her face, making her skin an unusually pale white. Swiping black over her eye lids and on her lips, she stared at the person in the mirror. Black Death.

Upon deeming herself ready, she headed out of her room and down the hall of the building her master owned, people either in their rooms or in the dining area, feasting.

'Enjoy yourself, you dirty pigs,' she thought as she passed them, her eyes narrowing in frustration. They were feasting over her succession and she hadn't even been invited. Instead, her master gave her another mission that would force her to be gone for the whole celebration.

Stepping out into the pouring rain, she started down the path leading to her final target, the last person her master had given her to assassinate before her debt was cleared and she was finally free again.

~~~

She was so tired. Leaning against the door frame, panting, she stared at her handiwork. Usually, they died quickly and with little to no defense to protect them. This time, though, the victim was ready for her. They had fought back and forth continuously throughout the night, his combat skills perfectly effective in parring against her own.

Pressing a hand gingerly against the wound in her side, she turned away and limped out of the abandoned home, her eyes narrowed in determination to get back to her current residence. 

~~~

"This is a bunch of bullshit!" Atsuko snapped, slamming the palms of her hands down against the table, destroying it easily under her force. "The deal was that I was free after this. You can't back out of this!"

The man, her master, stood up calmly, his hands resting behind his back, a position that she immediately recognized and grew wary at. "I know what the deal was, servant. I have decided to further your work here, is all. Let's not forget that I was the one who saved your life," he replied, his voice calm with a drop of warning in the tone.

"I was only nine years old and you didn't save me. You abducted me," she retorted, ignoring his warnings. "I do not belong to you any more. I have paid off my debt plus more. You cannot keep me here. I am fr-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the man lashed out, using a whip to hit her face. She drew back, surprised, and instantly tasted blood from the cut in her lip that the impact had created.

"Watch your tone, you insolent rat," he spat viciously, coiling the whip back up, his eyes narrowed in a dangerous glare.

"Whatever," Atsuko growled, backing out of the room, her eyes sharp with fury. "You cannot force me to stay here." With that, she stormed to her room and slammed the door shut, her eyes watering slightly from the anger and pain in her heart. 

Slumping down against the wall, she gingerly pressed a hand to her tender cheek and jaw, flinching when the pain came roaring back from each touch.

'He can't keep me here. I will leave at midnight and I will never come back.'


	2. Chapter 2

She had no doubt they were looking for her. Keeping one step ahead of them, she saved her money by sleeping outside, hidden by the shrubs and forest life. During the day, she traveled along the side of the road, keeping her head down and features hidden by cloth that she had brought.

On the seventh day of traveling like this, she had just arrived in a small town, people hurrying home in an attempt to get in before supper. Walking slowly, Kahnlin tilted her head to look over at people who were rushing past her.

"Kenshin, hurry up!" a voice called, catching her attention. A woman with long black hair brushed past her along with a man and a boy with brown hair. She stopped, turning around to look behind her, and Kahnlin turned to follow her gaze, freezing instantly. 'Battousai?'

Shivering, she immediately recognized the man's vibrant red hair and cross scar on his cheek, her body trembling slightly. 'What if he recognizes me?'

Shaking her head, Kahnlin stepped back, out of the way of the red-headed assassin, and farther into the shadows. Battousai stopped all of a sudden, standing right in front of her, and turned to meet her gaze head on.

"I see you, that I do," he murmured softly and Kahnlin felt goosebumps spread up and down her skin at the tone of his voice. "Who are you and why are you watching us?" he asked, tilting his head at the question.

In reply, Kahnlin opened and shut her mouth continuously, unable to answer him at the moment.

"We've found her!" "Black Death, get back here!"

Jumping, she jerked around to see her master's henchmen running towards her. "Shit! I stopped for too long," she gasped, pushing past Battousai and racing down the path past the other people.

"Stop Black Death!"

Suddenly, pain blossomed through her shoulder and Kahnlin cried out, stumbling before falling to her knees. That's when she realized that an arrow was now embedded in her shoulder. Struggling back to her weary feet, she turned to face the men, her hand now resting on her katana. She didn't want to fight these men but, should they give her no choice, she would.

"Black Death, you are under arrest for trying to run out on your debt," one of the men stated as they surrounded her.

"What debt? I paid my debt in full!" she cried out in outrage, her hand gripping the handle of her blade until her knuckles turned white. In the background, she could see Battousai reappear, the others with him, before stopping to watch what was going on.

"You can come along peacefully or we'll just have to drag your busted body with us. It's your choice."

Smirking, she got into her traditional stance, ready to wrench out her blade as soon as she needed to do so. "Just know that I will not hold back. You will regret cornering an assassin," she growled, her eyes trained on the man in front of her.

They charged her at once, men coming at her from all sides, and she dodged their blows skillfully, using her katana carefully, only giving them small cuts and slashes, making sure none of the wounds were life-threatening.

She was starting to sweat, her sides aching from the strain she was placing on them. She wasn't used to fighting for so long against constant opponents. Before she could realize what exactly was happening, someone grabbed the arrow sticking out of her shoulder and threw her, using it to swing her around. Her back slammed into a thick tree trunk and she slumped down, panting and trembling. Her katana rested in the ground a couple feet away and she considered rushing to grab it but her body convinced her otherwise, her muscles too weak to get up again.

A blade slipped into the edge of her vision and it slipped under her chin, pulling her face up. "I told you, you can come quietly or you can be dragged, Black Death. You have grown soft, weak, and are merely mortal. We just had to make you tired enough and you lose all your strength."

Kahnlin brought her hand up quickly, shoving the blade away from her face. Instantly, she regretted it as the tip of the blade cut her chin as she did so.

"Enough."


	3. Chapter 3

Looking up, Atsuko watched as Battousai stepped into the group of men, his eyes narrowed in a hostile glare.

"That is enough. It is quite obvious that this woman does not want to go with you. Leave her be or you will have to deal with me next."

The man snorted and was about to say something until someone else stopped him. "It's the Hitokiri Battousai. You don't want to mess with him. They say he's even more powerful than that of Hitokiri Atsuko." 

Battousai gripped the end of his katana, the blade still in his sheath. "Leave, now, and this one shall not harm a hair on any of your heads. Should you decide to fight, this one will fight."

The man turned around to glare at Atsuko, his eyes smoldering with unbridled rage. "This is not over, Black Death. We will be back for you and when we come, you will regret all of this!" With that, he led the men away, many injuring and nursing wounds.

As Battousai watched the men leave, Atsuko drug herself over to her katana and used the sturdy weapon to push herself to her feet, her breath coming in short pants and gasps. Her head spun and she felt dizzy as the ground tilted and spun underneath her feet. As she slumped to the right, arms gently held her up, holding her softly.

"Easy, little one," a voice cooed softly and she looked up, her eyes meeting with violet eyes. Battousai. Crying out, she yanked her katana out of the ground and swinging it at him. In doing so, she lost the only stable thing she was holding on to and she fell down, landing hard on her back. 

Battousai stood a few feet away from her, his hands up, palms facing her, and he shook his head. "This one is sorry. I did not mean to startle you, that I did not."

"B-Batto-" she stammered out and he shook his head slowly, his red hair falling softly into his face. "It is Kenshin now, that it is. I do not own that name anymore. The Meji Era has come, signaling the finish of this one's past career. You have nothing to fear from this one, that you don't."

With that, he offered Atsuko his hand, a kind smile on his face, and she hesitated before taking it, allowing the man to pull her up to her feet. As soon as she stood, the world pitched once again from under her and she passed out, collapsing into the man's arms. 

~~~Kenshin's POV~~~

He had sensed her almost as soon as Miss Kaoru called to him. Hidden by dark shadows, it looked like she was sneaking around. Concerned, he had questioned her, wanting to know if she was just a simple bystander or if she had some actual business with one of them. The fear in her face told him that she knew who he had been during the war, knew that he had a powerfully dangerous title that he couldn't seem to shake.

"We've found her!" "Black Death, get back here!"

The girl gasped, her head swinging around wildly as she muttered something about dawdling for too long. With that, she took off running, the men in close pursuit. Something told Kenshin that this girl was in trouble but not because she had done anything wrong.

"Miss Kaoru, hurry and get Megumi-dono. Meet us at home. I have a bad feeling about those men, that I do."

Sending Yahiko with Miss Kaoru, Kenshin and Sanosuke quickly intervened in the escalated situation, sending the men off. When he had convinced the girl to trust him, she instantly passed out, collapsing in his arms, her black hair sweeping around her shoulders and face as she slumped forward.

Gently, Kenshin scooped the limp body up in his arms before looking at Sanosuke. "I'll carry her, that I will, if you grab her katana. Something tells this one that she will be quite frantic if it isn't near her when she wakes."

Nodding, Sanosuke picked up the blade and the two hurried to the dojo, their thoughts all stuck on this girl.

"Lay her down here, Ken-san," Megumi urged the red-head and he obliged, laying her down on her side as to not bother the arrow that jutted out of her shoulder. 

After a quick examination, Megumi's features relaxed and she looked over at Kenshin. "None of her wounds look too serious. She'll definitely be bedridden for a couple of days, possibly a week or two, but she won't die from any of these wounds."

At those words, everyone let out a sigh of relief and Megumi smiled turning the girl on her back. Taking the arrow shaft gently in her hands, she gave it a quick and solid yank, pulling it easily out of the girl's shoulder. In reply, Atsuko let out a whimper and mumbled something but continued resting, her exhaustion obviously heavier than that of her pain.

Taking a sewing needle from her bag, she quickly stitched up the opening and pressed gauze against it, gently wrapping the wound to keep the gauze in place. Once that was taken care of, she slid the girl around so that she was lying on her back and she stitched up the flap of skin hanging from the girl's chin. Upon bandaging that, she finally turned her attention to her ankle, noting the swelling blue and black of the sprained bone.

"Definitely do not let her walk on this for a while or her recovery time could be increased a lot. It looks like she sprained her ankle. It isn't too bad but could get worse if she uses it before it has a chance to heal."

With that, she wrapped up the girl's ankle and stood up, looking over her handiwork. "Oh! Here!" Handing Kaoru a pouch, she smiled and explained, "It's for pain. If she has a lot of pain, make this into a tea and serve it to her. One cup every hour should she need it. If you run out, send Yahiko and I'll have another one made."

Quickly, Megumi excused herself and everyone left the room except for Kenshin and Kaoru. "Who is she, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked softly, peering down into the pale face of the exhausted girl. "She is like this one, that she is. She is the one known as Hitokiri Atsuko. I hadn't seen her since the war," he replied, his eyes staring off into space as the past came up to greet him.


	4. Chapter 4

~~~Back to Atsuko~~~

Hnngh, why does everything hurt so bad? Opening her eyes slowly, she allowed her sight to clear and adjust, wooden panels coming into view in front of her. Turning her head slowly, she noted that she was resting on a mat, a blanket pulled up over her chest. A slight movement caught her attention and she looked over to see the red-head man sitting in the corner, his head bowed as if in sleep, his face peaceful and calm.

At first, she panicked, her heart picking up speed, until his words came back from yesterday.

'It is Kenshin now, that it is. I do not own that name anymore. The Meji Era has come, signaling the finish of this one's past career. You have nothing to fear from this one, that you don't.'

Her mind made up, she decided to give it a test run. "Ken- Kenshin?" she called softly and the man stirred, his violet eyes appearing from under his eyelids. Lifting his head, his eyes met her own and he started, his face showing surprise.

"You are awake! How do you feel? Are you in a lot of pain? Megumi-dono, our doctor, gave us herbs to make into tea for your pain."

Quickly, he came up to her and pressed the back of his hand against her forehead as he spoke, his nagging and worrying making her smile slightly. "I'm okay right now. Just a little sore is all. I've had worse happen before." Pulling her arms around, she tried to push herself up to a sitting position, only for a sharp pain to shoot through her bandaged shoulder, causing her arms to give out. Kenshin caught her carefully and helped her sit up, allowing her to lean against his shoulder for support.

Grinning sheepishly, Atsuko delicately brushed some of her black hair out of her face and blushed. "I guess I've never been shot with an arrow before, though," she murmured and Kenshin chuckled lightly.

"Are you hungry?" he asked softly as he helped her to lean back against the pillows behind her head. "If you are, I can get you something to eat. If you're thirst, I could make some tea for you, that I can."

Atsuko opened her mouth to deny the offer but her stomach spoke first, letting out a loud grumbling noise, and her mouth snapped shut. Kenshin smiled, a friendly, knowing smile, and turned to the door. "Megumi said that you should not walk on your ankle yet as it could cause more damage so please, remain in bed and this one will get you some food."

The odd little man rushed off, leaving the girl to slump back, her eyes taking in the small room she was in. It was comfortable here, peaceful, but then she was reminded of the man who had hunted her down. 'They'll be back for me,' she thought wryly as her fingers crumpled up the top of her blanket. 'They'll be back and they'll try to destroy everything around me too. I will have to leave as soon as I can.'

Kenshin reappeared, carrying a trey, and he sat it down beside her. Smiling at her, he sat down as well and closed his eyes, leaning against the wall behind him. Hungrily, Atsuko gulped down her food, her mind wandering as she ate, and she finished before she realized it. "That was delicious," she stated softly, bringing a smile from the swordsman sitting in the corner. "I'm glad you liked it, that I do."

She felt herself smile back, her smile not quite touching her eyes, and Kenshin sighed, scooting himself closer to the girl. "We must talk," he softly announced, looking Atsuko in the eyes. "You need to let whatever is bothering you go. You are safe here with us. And if it is your past that you can't get over, remember that this is the Meji Era, the time where you can be anything you want." His hands gently enveloped hers, warmth spreading through her cold fingers, and she shook her head slowly. "It is true that this is the Meji Era but that does not quite allow me to have a peaceful life. They will come back for me. They will capture me this time and they will force me to kill for the rest of my life. I cannot put you or anyone else in danger for me," she replied, pulling her hands away from his.

She looked down at her lap, her thoughts racing a mile a minute. "If I were just dead, they would not be able to force me anymore. They would return to the man who ruined my life with my lifeless body in tow." Sighing, she took a glance at her katana, resting against the wall beside her, and let a small smile slip into her face. "I'd get to see my parents again. But, I cannot do it. I have tried many times and can never seem to just stop my fear of dying long enough to die."

Looking up, she met Kenshin's eyes, staring into them, searching them. 

"How did you do it?"

"Oro?" Kenshin murmured, startled by her question.

"You were once Battousai. How did you find peace within? I find no trace of the old hitokiri on you. It's almost as if he just died and left you to replace him. How?"

Kenshin's eyes softened considerably and he pressed his hand lightly against her shoulder. "With time. It took plenty of time, that it did. You'll see, Atsuko. You'll find peace as well."


	5. Chapter 5

Leaning against the door frame, Atsuko watched as Kenshin finished doing the laundry, two little girls sitting around him and helping him. Gripping her katana in her hand, she limped back to the main dojo, her mind full of anxious thoughts. Her injuries had basically healed, her shoulder back up to shape as well as her body. Her ankle still hurt a little bit but it wasn't anything she wasn't used to. The cut skin of her chin had healed considerably, though she'd always have a scar there.

In the middle of the clear dojo space, she quickly drew out her katana, slashing it through the air as she imagined the invisible opponent in front of her. Her eyes narrowed as she swung her katana through the air again, drawing back as she imagined the attack her opponent would give. Sweat began to drip down her face and into her eyes and she shook her head quickly to rid herself of anything that could slow her down.

She could hear the screams of the men she killed, could see the flash of deep crimson red as it spurted from their bodies and seeped into the ground underneath them. Then, she was standing face-to-face with her last victim, a nameless man who was very good at defense. As she stared him down, he stared back, his dark eyes narrowing with the knowing of what she was. He sprang at her, his katana pointed at her belly and she quickly parred it, swinging back with as much force as she could muster. He easily knocked her blade out of the way and stepped back, putting space between them.

"You've gotten slower and weaker, Hitokiri Atsuko. I will win this fight and you will die like the dog you are."

Swinging her sword once again, she heard a metallic "clang" and she looked up to see Kenshin standing in front of her, his sakabato currently pressing against hers, keeping it from striking Yahiko.

"Oh my god," she gasped, drawing her katana back and throwing it down. "I'm so sorry!"

Kenshin gave her a knowing smile, his violet eyes watching her quietly. "You were in the past again," he noted and Atsuko looked down, raking her hands through her long black hair. Chuckling, he sheathed his sakabato and gently patted Yahiko's shoulder.

"Atsuko," Yahiko called softly and she looked up, giving him a small smile as she did so. Kenshin shuffled out of the room, leaving the two behind, and Yahiko held out a small bowl. "You skipped lunch so I brought you some. I figured you were hungry. What were you doing, anyway?"

Gratefully, Atsuko took the bowl from the brunette boy and glanced at her katana, still resting on the floor. "I was practicing. I don't want to grow rusty in case I need to protect someone."

"Speaking of protecting someone," a voice growled and Atsuko looked up sharply, watching in horror as small spear-like needles came rushing towards Yahiko. "Yahiko! No!"

~~~

I know this chapter is short but it's a necessary one. I'm sorry for the shortness and I'm also sorry for the cliffhanger. ^^'


	6. Chapter 6

"Yahiko! No!"

Too late! Too late! Atsuko shot forward, turning her back to the needles and wrapping the boy up in her arms, dropping the bowl as she did so. Pain seared through her back as the needles tore into skin and muscles and she let out a grunt, her jaws clenching.

Letting go of Yahiko, she turned to face the man in the dojo, her eyes narrowed to slits. "Hello again, Hitokiri. The boss has decided to let you go. Instead, he has ordered we have you killed. What better way than doing it slowly so that you can soak up all the pain and feel it all?"

"Yahiko, run in get Kenshin," Atsuko ordered steadily and Yahiko took off.

"Ah ah ah. We don't want you doing that," the man grinned, wagging his finger, and Yahiko let out a gasp. Turning her head, she watched in horror as another man appeared, holding Yahiko tightly, a dagger pressed against his throat. 

"Hold still and accept your fate, Atsuko, and the boy will live. If not, he will have his throat slashed open and will die in your arms and it will be all because of you."

Dropping her arms, she turned back around to meet a gaze of the first man. "Fine. Do what you must," she snapped and she crossed her arms, refusing to admit defeat to him.

The man pulled out a small needle and walked up to her, a smirk written on his face, before grabbing her neck tightly in his hand. She winced as the needle entered the tender skin of her neck and then she was free. The man walked away from her and towards the entrance, turning around long enough to chuckle.

"I hope your death is long and full of suffering, Hitokiri Atsuko. Good bye."

The symptoms were instant. Falling to her knees, Atsuko felt her lungs struggling to supply her with the amount of oxygen she needed to survive. Her body felt weak, tired, and her head began to pound.

"Atsuko!" Yahiko appeared, steadying her gently as his eyes frantically searched her face.

"G-get... K-Kenshin," she ordered quietly, unable to fully focus on what she needed to do at the moment.

Yahiko disappeared and Atsuko let out a shaky sigh, pressing her hand lightly against her neck. A hand gently slipped underneath her chest, helping her sit back up. Kenshin's face appeared at the edge of her vision, blurry and distorted, and she allowed herself to lean against his strong support.

"-okay?"

"W-what?" she rasped, trying to clear her head up a little bit.

"Are you okay?" Kenshin repeated, his violet eyes hovering worriedly in front of her face, and she tried to sit herself up straight.

"I don't... I don't know," she replied, wincing as her head pounded harshly. 

Gently, Kenshin picked Atsuko up in his arms and carried her back to the room she called hers. Laying her down on the futon on her side as to prevent from pushing the needles in her back in farther, he gently brushed her hair out of her face and took her hand gently in his. "Don't worry, Atsuko. Yahiko-chan is fetching Megumi-dono as we speak. You'll be better real soon."

~~~

So hot. She was so hot. Weakly, she shoved the hot blankets off of her body, only to suddenly be hit by the cold. The blanket was tugged back up over her hot body and a wet cloth was pressed against her forehead.

Someone helped her sit up and a cup was pressed against her lips, cold liquid seeping into her lips and mouth. She swallowed it gratefully before she was placed back down, her head sinking into the pillow.

"She's getting worse, that she is," a voice murmured softly and she opened her eyes slowly. A face appeared in the edge of her vision, violet eyes narrowed softly in worry.

"K-kenshin," she rasped and Kenshin gently took her hand in his, squeezing it lightly. "I'm so hot," she whimpered, turning her head slowly. "I'm gonna die, aren't I?"

"No, not at all. We'll find a cure and you'll be fine, that you will."

Atsuko's eyes fluttered shut, her facial expression anything but calm, and Kenshin sighed, gently stroking her long black hair. What could they do for her to help?


	7. Chapter 7

All night, Kenshin stayed by Atsuko's side, pulling her blanket up when she threw it off and wiping her face off with a cool, wet rag. His mind raked over possible options for helping the dying hitokiri but they always came back to the same thought: his shishio could help her with whatever had been put into her system. His mind went back to when Megumi had arrived.

~~~Flashback to earlier in the day~~~

Megumi sat back, brushing a hand across her forehead, as she stared down intently at the girl. "I wish I knew what they had injected her with. It's some kind of poison but that's all I can figure out." She gently pushed the soiled wraps away, bloodied by the wounds on her shoulder blade, and pulled the clean ones closer. Cleaning the small wounds caused by the small spear-like needles she had pulled out, she studied them closely, looking for anything that could be out of sorts. When nothing really stood out, she finished bandaging the girl's shoulder and pulled the blanket up closer to her shoulder, covering up her nude upper body.

"I don't know how to cure this. All I can think of is to treat any symptoms that arise. Right now, she has a fever so I'll just give you some herbs to put into a tea for her to drink. It'll help lower the fever. Make sure she stays hydrated and keep an eye on her temperature. If it rises, call me immediately." Standing, Megumi nodded to the others before taking off, heading for her clinic.

After she had left, Kaoru boiled the water for the tea and prepared it. With Kenshin's help, they got Atsuko into a sitting position and Kaoru gently poured the liquid into the open mouth, careful not to choke the unconscious woman. Following a routine, she poured in the liquid and then gently massaged Atsuko's jaw so that she would swallow what was given to her.

Upon drinking all the tea, they laid her back down on her futon, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

~~~Back to now~~~

Movement caught Kenshin's attention and he turned to note Atsuko. She was shivering terribly, her breathing coming in short gasps, and her face was scrunched up in pain. Moving closer to the sick girl, he gently ran a hand through her long black hair, his other hand taking a hold of her clenched one. 

"Shh, I know," he whispered, pressing his forehead against her hot, sweat-soaked brow. "It's painful, that it is. I know what I must do in order to save you, Atsuko-dono. Even if I don't like it, I know my shishio can do something to help you. We must leave immediately."

Under his soft and gentle touch, Atsuko calmed down, her face changing to that of peaceful sleep as her breathing became more deep and gentle. Kenshin staid with her like that the rest of the night, continually talking her through it when she woke up enough to feel the pain and sickness her body was being wracked with.

Come morning, Kaoru walked in to find Kenshin sleeping against the wall, his hand resting gently on Atsuko's forehead. "Kenshin," she called softly, arousing the rurouni from his sleep. "We need to give her the tea that vixen gave us for her." Tiredly, the red-head glanced down at the girl resting on her futon and moved to help her sit up. Atsuko's eyes opened slowly as he did that and she let out a moan.

"It's so cold," she murmured, her voice sounding dazed and weak. "Don't worry, Atsuko-dono," Kenshin replied gently as he slipped under her to hold her up. "Drink this tea and you'll feel better soon." With the two's help, she drank up the foul tasting liquid, the warmth doing little to chase away the coldness in her body. 

Kenshin gently laid her back down into the cushions and gently swiped a wet rag over her face, cleaning the sweat off of it as well as cooling her face down. When Kaoru reentered the room, he shared his plans with her.

"But Kenshin! You don't even know if he'll actually help you! You're talking crazy!"

Kenshin shook his head slowly, brushing his hand through his red hair. "This one knows, Kaoru-dono," he murmured softly. "Shishio may be her only hope, that he may. We must make the journey at least. That way, we can say we actually tried."

Kaoru sighed, knowing there was no arguing with the calm rurouni, and she stood up. "As soon as possible, Kenshin? I'll go and start packing us food and such for the trip. You get her ready for the trip."

She left and Kenshin stood, brushing off his lap. He helped eased Atsuko up into a sitting position and slipped her kimono back on, securing it in place lightly around her waist. Then he laid her back down and went to get ready himself. While Kaoru was preparing the food for their trip, he enlisted Sanosuke's help and, in no time, had Atsuko on his back, piggy-back style, a blanket wrapped snugly around her feverish body.

"Are you ready to go, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked softly and the red-head smiled, giving her a slow nod. 

"Good luck, you two! Safe travels!" 

With that, they departed.


End file.
